As of: March 27, 2024, 7:17 p.m
By: Victoria Krumbeck
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Erratic thinking, procrastination or social withdrawal can indicate giftedness. But it often goes unnoticed by many people.
Berlin/Kassel – According to the Humboldt University of Berlin, around 2.3 percent of the population is highly gifted. Many people don't even know that they are. A person is said to be gifted if their IQ is at least 130. But not everyone with this IQ can develop their abilities. The most famous highly gifted people include Bill Gates, Madonna and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, highly gifted people do not automatically have a higher level of education or are professionally successful. There are some characteristics that are common in gifted adults.
Giftedness in adults: Some characteristics provide clues
Even in childhood, highly gifted people have a great thirst for knowledge, as the Humboldt University writes in a background paper. So they read a lot in books or on the Internet. But even in adulthood, highly gifted people stand out for their search for intellectual challenges. They can also include many aspects and levels when thinking without having to put in a lot of effort. They find it easier to draw parallels or make transfers.
A woman writes down ideas on a disk. Many people don't know that they are highly gifted (symbolic image). © Yuri Arcurs/Zoonar/IMAGO
Authority figures such as parents, teachers or lecturers are often contradicted because highly gifted people want to think and develop for themselves and do not simply accept statements uncritically. Compared to their peers, interests can differ greatly. Particular attention is paid to areas such as astronomy, technology and logic, but also to philosophical areas. In addition, an increased speed of thinking or speaking can occur, as well as erratic and associative thinking, as the Tutorium Berlin advice center informs.
Giftedness in adults: challenges in everyday life
Those who are highly gifted usually also have to face some personal challenges. Many gifted people tend to withdraw, be self-critical and perfectionistic. Dealing with routines is more difficult, so repetitive processes and tasks lead to boredom because the gifted person is not mentally challenged. They find it difficult to find friendships in which they share a common interest.
A gifted person may find small talk superficial, while a person of average intelligence may find a gifted person's way of thinking or reasoning complicated. In addition, knowing that one is gifted can put pressure on the gifted person. They often feel like they are different. However, only an intelligence diagnosis can provide an answer to the question of whether the person is gifted.
An eleven-year-old with an IQ of 145 wants to change the school system. To this end, he has drawn up demands that he has already passed on to politicians.
(vk)